cazzooo

I gave a pint of blood the other day and they say I can't donate for another 8 weeks. Will this give me less endurance power ie red blood cells to carry oxygen to my muscles for that period of time? How much of an effect will this have on my cycling?

Davet

From a DeAnza college article about blood donation: "But maybe you shouldn't donate just before a big game. An article from THE PHYSICIAN AND SPORTSMEDICINE said, in part:

"After donating 450 mL (1 U) of whole blood, plasma volume falls 7% to 13%, then recovers within 24 to 48 hours...Marvin Adner, MD, a hematologist and internist in Framingham, Massachusetts, and medical director of the Boston Marathon, says that blood donation should not be a concern for active people who are not world-class athletes--as long as they are not iron deficient...Donald M. Christie, Jr, MD, an internist and sports physician in Lewiston, Maine, says hydration is the best recovery strategy. Donors need to drink not only what is offered afterward at the blood donation center, they need to aggressively hydrate over the remainder of the day, says Christie, who is an editorial board member of The Physician and Sportsmedicine. "Noting the color of the urine is a good way to gauge hydration status," he says.

He advises endurance athletes to think of the blood donation day as a rest day, and to tread cautiously the next day because hydration stores may not be replenished and delayed vasovagal effects may occur. Christie says though the performance decrement would be slight in an endurance athlete, blood donation should have virtually no effect on strength or short-burst activities."

dantsai

I have donated blood (and more recently, I've been donating platelets, but that's completely different) very regularly for several years. For the next 2-3 days after my donation I try to stay off the bike and the weights, but I start again after that.

I find that it takes about 7-10 days after the donation before I feel like I'm riding at my normal levels again.
As Davet quoted, you actually recover your lost blood a lot quicker than the 8 weeks that you typically have to wait before you donate again. You typically recover 100% of your lost red blood cells around a month after donating.

The first 24 hours after donating are the hardest for me. If I let myself, I can take a 5 hour nap immediately after donating.

idcruiserman

I normally commute on the day I give blood and just take it easy on the way home. Drink a lot of water the night before and the day of. I feel fine the next day.

bbattle

I donate every 16 weeks. They use a machine called Alyx that removes two units of blood but returns the plasma and some saline solution. I don't ride the next day or so and then just short rides.

I tried riding a group ride a few days after donating and I felt a little weaker; luckily no climbing that day.

Remember, your pancreas is holding a good bit of old blood that gets dumped back into the stream after a donation.

stapfam

Just a warning to our older UK members- "A pint is nearly an Armfull" (Hancocks Half hour)

Hydration is the thing. Plenty before end plenty afterwards. Just keep the Stella till afterwards

Hot Potato

I bet your Red blood cell count returns to its usual level by 3 to 4 weeks. Perhaps even two weeks. Any sypmtoms you feel in the first 48 hours would be from dehydration/hypovolemia (less blood volume). Unless you are going to donate before heading to much higher altitude, I doubt any decrease in performance will be from the donation (elite athletes excluded).

Bianchigirll 

give blood it is the right thing to do, just layoff your workout the next few days. most importantly, don't get caught having it put back in before a big race LOL

Val23708

donate blood three weeks ago. i felt like my V02 Max took a big hit 5 days later

datlas 

Your plasma volume is re-equlibrated in 1-2 days as stated above, but it's your RED CELL VOLUME that determines your maximum effort (aerobically, that is) and your V02 max.

Since a normal hemoglobin is about 14 and 1 unit will drop it roughly 1 gram, to 13, one would say that your V02 max and maximum sustainable power output would drop by roughly 7%. This would gradually return to baseline over the next 3-4 weeks.

My feeling is that if you are a "recreational" (i.e. not competitive) rider you may not notice the difference within a day or two of donating....but if you are competitive, you will notice an approx 5-8% drop in maximum aerobic power for a few weeks.

BTW it's your spleen, not pancreas that holds lots of blood. Even so, I stand by my estimates above.

I hope that helps.

mexipat

I'd be interested in knowing how old some of you are. I used to recover right away. Now, at 65, it seems to take a few days.

1nterceptor

I'll be 40 this year. Have donated whole blood/plasma about 20 times now
for the last couple of years. The place I go to recommends no hard workout
for 24 hours. I just follow that advice and I feel I'm back to normal the next day.
Actually now that I think about it, I don't feel any different right after donating either.

My commute is over 20 miles roundtrip and I don't notice any change if I give blood
the day before. So,please to all; do donate. One whole blood donation can save the
lives of up to three individuals. And to those who think that donating weakens your
immune system, I do my 20 mile commute rain or shine or 15 degree temps(that's
about the lowest the thermometer goes down here in my area).

dantsai

I'm a young 23 years old. It still takes me a number of days to recover, though. My commute is 9 miles each way, and the ride is significantly more taxing the first 3-4 days after I donate.